Why do people support HS2?

Those who support the project say it will improve transport times, create jobs and help the country's economy. Critics of it though, are worried about how it will impact wildlife, the countryside, their homes and how much it will cost. So, what are the arguments for and against HS2?



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HS2 will be the UK's zero carbon alternative for long-distance travel. It will reduce the need for car, lorry and plane journeys playing a vital role in delivering the Government's ambitious goal of Britain becoming net zero carbon by 2050.

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Organisations. Organisations that support the HS2 project include: The three major UK political parties: Conservative, Labour (albeit with some criticism of the proposed route) and the Liberal Democrats. In Labour's 2019 manifesto the party said it would extend the dedicated high-speed track to Scotland.

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HS2 is Environmentally Damaging. HS2 Ltd expect most passengers to have transferred from conventional speed trains, but trains travelling at the top speed of HS2 use at least twice as much energy as conventional speed trains. As it is, even HS2 Ltd acknowledge that there are lower carbon alternatives.

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But HS2 is quite controversial. Those who support the project say it will improve transport times, create jobs and help the country's economy. Critics of it though, are worried about how it will impact wildlife, the countryside, their homes and how much it will cost.

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Environmental groups The Woodland Trust opposes the current route of the proposed High Speed 2 rail link because of its impact on ancient woodland. It reports that 108 ancient woods are threatened with loss or damage from the project.

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The US is a big country. Bullet trains go an average of about 350mph whereas your standard commercial airplane goes 550–560mph. High speed rail isn't competitive or fast enough as the existing airplanes to take you from NY to LA and airfare is relatively cheap that the average person can generally afford the flight.

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Other groups opposing HS2 include the HS2 Action Alliance, The Wildlife Trusts and the Woodland Trust. The group has a chairperson, a treasurer and a campaign manager, relying on donations to pay them. In 2011, it made a fundraiser to pay its campaign manager Joe Rukin.

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While HS2 Ltd. has failed to meet the key schedule performance mark, it says it remains on course to complete the work well in the range of 2029 to 2033. But when the line will reach the central London terminal at Euston is still unknown. With costs rising, the government paused work at Euston in March.

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It Won't Help and May Hurt the Economy. Studies have found that high-?speed trains can generate new economic development near the stations where the trains stop. However, the same studies show that economic development slows in communities not served by such trains.

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The interstate highway system cost $129 billion — roughly $290 billion in current dollars — and took 35 years to complete, running from 1957 to 1992. The $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill enacted in 2021 has $102 billion for rail, but none of the money is set aside for high-speed rail.

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High-speed rail is generally regarded as the pinnacle of attractive and green transportation. But all too often, it makes train travel more expensive and less flexible. In the end, costly high-speed lines may just push more people into cars.

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CLIMATEWIRE | The first U.S.-made high-speed bullet trains will start running as early as 2024 between Boston, New York and Washington, with the promise of cutting transportation emissions by attracting new rail passengers who now drive or fly.

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He continued that HS2 will help support economic growth and make a major contribution towards rebalancing the economy.[284] We take rebalancing the economy to mean stimulating growth outside of London and the South-East, rather than encouraging growth at the expense of London and the South-East.

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HS2 Ltd's destruction of ancient woodland and veteran trees is unacceptable. We'll keep pushing hard to save these precious habitats.

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Operation: HS2 will be powered by zero carbon electricity. Construction: Net zero for construction from 2035. Scope 3 emissions include all other indirect emissions in an organisation's value chain.

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